Miami has named its starting quarterback for its season opener against Florida on Aug. 24, and it’s not the name everybody was expecting heading into the camp. First-year coach Manny Diaz announced on Monday that redshirt freshman Jarren Williams will be the Canes starter when the 2019 season begins.

“All three guys showed tremendous improvement and development, which is a credit to their hard work and the work of Dan Enos and his offensive staff,” said Diaz in a release. “We believe we can win with all three guys, however, we feel like Jarren has the greatest upside due to his passing ability, his instincts and his determination.”

Odds are most people would not have predicted this would be the outcome of Miami’s QB battle heading into the spring. N’Kosi Perry entered last season with some hype after redshirting in 2017, but struggled in 11 games and never sufficiently wrestled the job away from Malik Rosier. It’s why nobody was all that surprised to see Miami go after Ohio State transfer Tate Martell. Martell was the No. 2 dual-threat QB in the 2017 recruiting class, and nobody thought Miami was bringing him in to be a reserve. That theory gained more traction when Martell successfully applied for a waiver that would allow him to be eligible in 2019 rather than having to sit out a season following his transfer.

But, like recruiting, depth charts are fluid.

Williams may have entered the spring and summer as the No. 3 in the minds of many, but he impressed Miami coaches with his performance in practice and camp. Williams was a four-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class out of Georgia and was able to take a redshirt for the 2018 season since he only appeared in one game. He completed 1 of 3 passes for 17 yards against Savannah State and rushed for a touchdown in a 77-0 Miami win.

“This is something that I’ve always strived for growing up,” said Williams. “It’s been my dream since I was a kid. When I was six years old, I used to sit in front of the TV and watch Michael Vick play. That’s a dream I have always had, and I’ve strived for it. Having the opportunity to lead this team is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am going to take full advantage of it.”

The release from Miami said it has not been decided which QB will serve as Williams’ backup in the opener against Florida.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.